An Inconvenient Truth Although some insist Al Gore and Davis Guggenheim's documentary about global warming is little more than a Power Point presentat
Katherine Monk, CanWest News Service
Published: Friday, December 29, 2006 Article tools
Printer friendly E-mail Font: * * * * The cinematic standouts were few and far between, but in a year that promised movie milk and honey with new films from Clint Eastwood, Robert Altman, Pixar Studios and Tom Hanks, it seems the sweetest pleasures were some of the biggest surprises.
That said, here's my list of top 10 movies for 2006:
1. An Inconvenient Truth Although some insist Al Gore and Davis Guggenheim's documentary about global warming is little more than a Power Point presentation adapted for the screen, this small documentary about the world's biggest problem succeeded at separating science from partisan rhetoric. Not only did Gore embrace every argument against the idea of climate change, he explores them in depth and turns up the same, ugly, inconvenient truth: Our way of life is destroying the planet we love.
2. Little Children Whether it was the sly sarcasm underlying each scene, or the dark view of humanity eventually redeemed through action, Todd Field's Little Children is a smart, disturbing drama that probed the nuclear family and revealed the emptiness of several suburban marriages.
3. United 93 Director Paul Greengrass takes a documentary approach to one of the most significant events in modern history -- the attacks of Sept. 11, 2001 -- and creates a moving tribute to the passengers of United Flight 93. The effect is immediate and visceral as Greengrass straps us into the passenger seat and makes us a witness to a group of ordinary people who attempt to win back destiny.
4. Borat: Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan Sacha Baron Cohen takes comedy to a new level -- both high and low -- as he examines the American psyche. Some think the movie plays to frat-boy sensibilities without leading its audience to think about intolerance, sexism, rape, established views of morality and acceptable forms of communication. They may be right, but the movie blossomed into an academic playground of discussion, not to mention a box-office sensation that captured our elusive zeitgeist.
5. Stranger Than Fiction Between Will Ferrell and Sacha Baron Cohen, the comedy world was rolling in the aisles and laughing all the way to the bank. Ferrell lands a foothold on the A-list ladder thanks to his performance as a befuddled everyman who discovers his entire lifemay be scripted.
6. The Last King of Scotland In a year of several Africa-themed films (Catch a Fire, Blood Diamond), Kevin MacDonald's The Last King of Scotland stood out as the most urgent -- even though it's a largely fictional story based on events some 30 years old. Forest Whitaker is sure to land an Oscar nod for his performance as Ugandan dictator Idi Amin, but this movie works as an edge-of-your seat ride thanks to its rich visuals and sprawling ensemble.
7. Manufactured Landscapes Jennifer Baichwal's documentary account of her trip to China with Toronto photographer Edward Burtynsky is a largely silent meditation on the changing face of our natural environment. With stunning images, Baichwal and Burtynsky open our eyes to the monolithic scale of modern human settlements, and the toll they take on the environment.
8. Dixie Chicks -- Shut Up and Sing! Barbara Kopple and Cecilia Peck look at how the Dixie Chicks received the equivalent of a modern stoning after lead singer Natalie Maines said she was embarrassed George W. Bush was from Texas. In an entertaining and surprisingly funny film, Kopple and Peck pull back one layer of meaning after another as they explore the power of the reactionary right's viral network of activists, and how being an outspoken woman can be more threatening than a cache of WMDs.
9. The Queen Helen Mirren is a revelation in the role of Elizabeth II. Although Mirren barely says more than a dozen words in any given scene, director Stephen Frears creates such a detailed slice of royal life that we feel we know the monarch by the final credits. Not since Elizabeth (starring Cate Blanchett) has drama and duty found such a snug fit in feminine form.
10. The Proposition Nick Cave's dark script and John Hillcoat's direction make this story of Aussie colonization a gritty little gem. Despite its familiar themes of white guilt, the debasement of aboriginal culture and exploiting the landscape for commercial ends, the images and performances (from the entire ensemble, including Ray Winstone, Guy Pearce and Emily Watson) fuse into a poetic impression that captures the ugliest of human drives: ownership.
http://www.canada.com/topics/entertainment/story.html?id=ba9ffb1c-fdab-4a30-bfa5-93730b800dce&k=16848
Published: Friday, December 29, 2006 Article tools
Printer friendly E-mail Font: * * * * The cinematic standouts were few and far between, but in a year that promised movie milk and honey with new films from Clint Eastwood, Robert Altman, Pixar Studios and Tom Hanks, it seems the sweetest pleasures were some of the biggest surprises.
That said, here's my list of top 10 movies for 2006:
1. An Inconvenient Truth Although some insist Al Gore and Davis Guggenheim's documentary about global warming is little more than a Power Point presentation adapted for the screen, this small documentary about the world's biggest problem succeeded at separating science from partisan rhetoric. Not only did Gore embrace every argument against the idea of climate change, he explores them in depth and turns up the same, ugly, inconvenient truth: Our way of life is destroying the planet we love.
2. Little Children Whether it was the sly sarcasm underlying each scene, or the dark view of humanity eventually redeemed through action, Todd Field's Little Children is a smart, disturbing drama that probed the nuclear family and revealed the emptiness of several suburban marriages.
3. United 93 Director Paul Greengrass takes a documentary approach to one of the most significant events in modern history -- the attacks of Sept. 11, 2001 -- and creates a moving tribute to the passengers of United Flight 93. The effect is immediate and visceral as Greengrass straps us into the passenger seat and makes us a witness to a group of ordinary people who attempt to win back destiny.
4. Borat: Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan Sacha Baron Cohen takes comedy to a new level -- both high and low -- as he examines the American psyche. Some think the movie plays to frat-boy sensibilities without leading its audience to think about intolerance, sexism, rape, established views of morality and acceptable forms of communication. They may be right, but the movie blossomed into an academic playground of discussion, not to mention a box-office sensation that captured our elusive zeitgeist.
5. Stranger Than Fiction Between Will Ferrell and Sacha Baron Cohen, the comedy world was rolling in the aisles and laughing all the way to the bank. Ferrell lands a foothold on the A-list ladder thanks to his performance as a befuddled everyman who discovers his entire lifemay be scripted.
6. The Last King of Scotland In a year of several Africa-themed films (Catch a Fire, Blood Diamond), Kevin MacDonald's The Last King of Scotland stood out as the most urgent -- even though it's a largely fictional story based on events some 30 years old. Forest Whitaker is sure to land an Oscar nod for his performance as Ugandan dictator Idi Amin, but this movie works as an edge-of-your seat ride thanks to its rich visuals and sprawling ensemble.
7. Manufactured Landscapes Jennifer Baichwal's documentary account of her trip to China with Toronto photographer Edward Burtynsky is a largely silent meditation on the changing face of our natural environment. With stunning images, Baichwal and Burtynsky open our eyes to the monolithic scale of modern human settlements, and the toll they take on the environment.
8. Dixie Chicks -- Shut Up and Sing! Barbara Kopple and Cecilia Peck look at how the Dixie Chicks received the equivalent of a modern stoning after lead singer Natalie Maines said she was embarrassed George W. Bush was from Texas. In an entertaining and surprisingly funny film, Kopple and Peck pull back one layer of meaning after another as they explore the power of the reactionary right's viral network of activists, and how being an outspoken woman can be more threatening than a cache of WMDs.
9. The Queen Helen Mirren is a revelation in the role of Elizabeth II. Although Mirren barely says more than a dozen words in any given scene, director Stephen Frears creates such a detailed slice of royal life that we feel we know the monarch by the final credits. Not since Elizabeth (starring Cate Blanchett) has drama and duty found such a snug fit in feminine form.
10. The Proposition Nick Cave's dark script and John Hillcoat's direction make this story of Aussie colonization a gritty little gem. Despite its familiar themes of white guilt, the debasement of aboriginal culture and exploiting the landscape for commercial ends, the images and performances (from the entire ensemble, including Ray Winstone, Guy Pearce and Emily Watson) fuse into a poetic impression that captures the ugliest of human drives: ownership.
http://www.canada.com/topics/entertainment/story.html?id=ba9ffb1c-fdab-4a30-bfa5-93730b800dce&k=16848
posted by presgore19 at 7:37 AM
<< Home